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Even the most experienced of workers can have accidents, therefore it is vitally important that those in authority do everything they can to prevent unnecessary ones.
Neglecting to construct proper scaffolding or train staff about the dangers of working at height and how to stay safe can course injury and financial losses to companies.
Workers should be aware of the measures which ought to be put in place, but there is a hierarchy which states who should be responsible for health and safety precautions.
A recent prosecution has seen the director of a construction company finding himself held accountable after a serious injury was caused by an accident onsite.
No scaffolding had been erected on a three storey house which was being built and there was no other method of fall prevention in place either.
This was tantamount to a serious breach of regulations and meant that the only thing which would break a fall was a balcony below.
When a labourer was told to remove a concrete block from the building he did so by throwing it over the edge and consequently went with it.
Anne-Marie Orrells, inspector for the Health and Safety Executive, said: "This is a typical example of high risk work being conducted in an unsafe manner. Had scaffolding been put in place, this incident could so easily have been prevented."
He suffered injuries to his foot after hitting the balcony on his way down to the ground seven metres below.
Unable to work in the construction industry, the labourer will have to undergo further surgery on his foot after he spent six days in hospital having a pin inserted into his left heel.
A plaster cast was on the man's leg for ten months and he still cannot walk properly on it, but the accident could have cost him his life.
Ms Orrells said: "He is no longer able to do any of the simplest things that many people take for granted, like playing with his children or going for a walk in the countryside with his partner."
An HSE investigation found the work had not been properly planned, supervised or carried out in order to minimise the risk of accidents.
The director of the company pleaded guilty to breaching Section 37(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. He was fined £4,000, and ordered to pay costs of £2,376.25, as well as being banned from controlling a company for two years.
On top of this the company itself pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 4(1) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005. It was fined £12,000 with costs of £2,376.25.
Falls from height cause more fatalities in the construction industry every year than any other type of accident and a wide range of fall prevention products are on the market from loading bay gates to scaffolding tags.
Source: Aviva Risk Solutions
Neglecting to construct proper scaffolding or train staff about the dangers of working at height and how to stay safe can course injury and financial losses to companies.
Workers should be aware of the measures which ought to be put in place, but there is a hierarchy which states who should be responsible for health and safety precautions.
A recent prosecution has seen the director of a construction company finding himself held accountable after a serious injury was caused by an accident onsite.
No scaffolding had been erected on a three storey house which was being built and there was no other method of fall prevention in place either.
This was tantamount to a serious breach of regulations and meant that the only thing which would break a fall was a balcony below.
When a labourer was told to remove a concrete block from the building he did so by throwing it over the edge and consequently went with it.
Anne-Marie Orrells, inspector for the Health and Safety Executive, said: "This is a typical example of high risk work being conducted in an unsafe manner. Had scaffolding been put in place, this incident could so easily have been prevented."
He suffered injuries to his foot after hitting the balcony on his way down to the ground seven metres below.
Unable to work in the construction industry, the labourer will have to undergo further surgery on his foot after he spent six days in hospital having a pin inserted into his left heel.
A plaster cast was on the man's leg for ten months and he still cannot walk properly on it, but the accident could have cost him his life.
Ms Orrells said: "He is no longer able to do any of the simplest things that many people take for granted, like playing with his children or going for a walk in the countryside with his partner."
An HSE investigation found the work had not been properly planned, supervised or carried out in order to minimise the risk of accidents.
The director of the company pleaded guilty to breaching Section 37(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. He was fined £4,000, and ordered to pay costs of £2,376.25, as well as being banned from controlling a company for two years.
On top of this the company itself pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 4(1) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005. It was fined £12,000 with costs of £2,376.25.
Falls from height cause more fatalities in the construction industry every year than any other type of accident and a wide range of fall prevention products are on the market from loading bay gates to scaffolding tags.
Source: Aviva Risk Solutions
